WEBVTT NOWWITH ACTION NEWS REPORTER PHILGOMEZ IN SANTA CRUZ.PHIL: WE SPOKE BY PHONE WITHINCOMING POLICE CHIEF ANDREWMILLS, STILL ON THE JOB ASEUREKA'S CHIEF OF POLICE, ABOUTI.C.E. RAIDS AND IMPACTS TOLOCAL IMMIGRANTS. HE SHARED A STORY ABOUT ANIMMIGRANT FROM MEXICO WHO IS ANAMERICAN CITIZEN.THE YOUNG MAN WAS DETAINED FORSHOWING A CALIFORNIA DRIVER'SLICENSE INSTEAD OF A GREEN CARD.THIS EVENT RESONATED WITH THECHIEF, BECAUSE THE YOUNG MAN ISHIS SON-IN-LAW.>> MY GRANDCHILDREN ARE BROWN.MY GRANDDAUGHTER STATUS BEING --MY GRANDDAUGHTER'S DAD IS BEINGDETAINED BY CUSTOMS AND BORDERPATROL AT AN AIRPORT FOR, IN MYOPINION, BEING BROWN.I CAN'T THINK OF ANOTHER REASONIN THE WORLD TO DETAIN THIS GUY.PHIL: CHIEF MILLS WENT ON TO SAYTHAT HE UNDERSTANDS I.C.E. HAS AJOB TO DO, BUT HE DOESN'T SEETHAT JOB AS A RESPONSIBILITY OFLOCAL POLICE.HE WRITES A BLOG FOR THE EUREKAPOLICE WEHRE HE POSTS HISCONCERNS ABOUT IMMIGRATION ANDOTHER ISSUES AFFECTING THECOMMUNITY HE SERVES.>> I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO BEABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH OURFEDERAL PARTNERS, BUT NOTSUPPORT THEIR MISSION, BECAUSEWHAT I NEED THE LOCAL PEOPLE TODO, THE PEOPLE LIVING IN SANTACRUZ, TO BE ABLE TO COME TO THEPOLICE FOR HELP.PHIL: COMMUNITY ACTIVISTERNESTINA SALDANA DOESN'T KNOWMUCH ABOUT THE INCOMING POLICECHIEF, BUT BELIEVES THE MOSTIMPORTANT ASSET FOR HIM IS TO BECONNECTED TO THE COMMUNITY.>> BECAUSE SANTA CRUZ IS A VERYPROGRESSIVE TOWN, SO I CAN TELLYOU, FOR EXAMPLE, THIS MORNING,IT IS IMMIGRATION.THIS AFTERNOON IT CAN BEHOMELESS PEOPLE.IF YOU WILLING TO WORK WITH THECOMMUNITY IN A WAY THATSATISFIES AND WITH HUMANITY INMIND.PHIL: SANTA CRUZ CITY MANAGERMARTIN BERNAL SAYS THE SEARCHFOR THE CITY'S NEW CHIEF WASVERY INVOLVED AND INCLUDED INPUTFROM A NATIONWIDE RECRUITER,ALONG WITH SEVERAL DIFFERENTINTERVIEW PANELS AND COMMUNITYMEMBERS.HOWEVER, ULTIMATELY, THE FINALDECISION WAS BERNAL'S.HE SAYS IMMIGRATION WASN'T THEONLY CRITERIA USED IN CHOOSING ANEW CHIEF.>> IT IS ABOUT HAVING A LEADERTHAT CAN TAKE THE DEPARTMENT TOTHE NEXT LEVEL AND TO ENGAGEWITH THE COMMUNITY.NOT LIKE THEY HAVEN'T BEEN DOINGTHAT, THEY HAVE.BUT TO CONTINUE THAT TRAJECTORY,TO CONTINUE THAT EFFORT, TOBECOME A MARTYR POLICEDEPARTMENT THAT IS RESPONSIBLETO THE COMMUNITY.-- TO BECOME A MODERN POLICETHAT IS RESPONSIBLE TO HECOMMUNITY.PHIL: LEE BROKAW WAS A PANELISTINVOLVED IN THE INTERVIEWPROCESS FOR A NEW CHIEF. >> THE CHIEF MADE SEVERALSTATEMENTS PERTINENT TO THECOMMUNITY TO READ HE SAIDPOLICING IS NOT ABOUTCONTROLLING PEOPLE.HE SAID POLICE NEED TO STAY OUTOF THE WAY OF THE PEOPLE.HE DOES NOT TRUST I.C.E. ORHOMELAND SECURITY AND HASNOTHING TO DO WITH THEM.HE ORGANIZED EUREKA POLICEDEPARTMENT'S MARCH IN THE PRIDEPARADE.THIS IS THE KIND OF MAN WHOWOULD BE WELCOMED IN SANTA CRUZ.PHIL: THERE'S STILL SOME REDTAPE TO GO THROUGH BEFORE MILLSIS THE CHIEF OF THE SANTA CRUZPOLICE DEPARTMENT.A STATE MANDATED BACKGROUNDCHECK IS REQUIRED AND SALARYNEGOTIATIONS WILL NEED TO BEFINALIZED.DAN: HE IS ALSO THE FIRST POLICECHIEF IN 35 YEARS TO BE HIREDFROM OUTSIDE THE CITY.WE CAN EXPECT MILLS TO STEP IN

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The incident resonated with the chief, because the young man is his son-in-law.

"My grandchildren are brown. And while my daughter or granddaughter is going to school, her dad is being detained by customs and border patrol at an airport for, in my opinion, being brown. I can't think of another reason in the world to detain this guy," Mills said.

Chief Mills went on to say that he understands ICE has a job to do, but he doesn't see that job as a responsibility of local police.

Mills, who will be moving from the Eureka Police Department to the Santa Cruz Police Department in August, writes a blog for Eureka.

Mills will be the first police chief in 35 years to be hired by Santa Cruz from outside the city.